Real-time, time aware, dynamic, context aware and reconfigurable ethernet packet classification

Abstract

An ultra-high speed electronic communications device includes: a network communications interface; a memory; and one or more processing units, communicatively coupled to the memory and the network communications interface, wherein the memory stores instructions configured to cause the one or more processing units to: receive a data packet using the network communications interface; determine a classification of the data packet based, at least in part, on a plurality of factors, wherein the plurality of factors comprises a rate at which the data packet was received and a time at which the data packet was received; select, based at least in part, on the classification, an operation from a plurality of operations, wherein the plurality of operations comprises a cut-through operation and a store-and-forward operation; and perform the selected operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A high-speed communications device, comprising:
 a network communications interface; 
 a memory; and 
 one or more processing units, communicatively coupled to the memory and the network communications interface, wherein the memory stores instructions configured to cause the one or more processing units to:
 receive a data packet using the network communications interface; 
 determine a classification of the data packet based, at least in part, on a plurality of factors, wherein the plurality of factors comprises a rate at which the data packet was received and a time at which the data packet was received; 
 select, based at least in part on the classification, an operation from a plurality of operations, wherein the plurality of operations comprises a cut-through operation and a store-and-forward operation, and wherein the selecting selects between the cut-through operation and the store-and-forward operation based at least on the time at which the data packet was received; and 
 perform the selected operation. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The high-speed communications device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of factors further comprises an addressee of the data packet. 
     
     
       3. The high-speed communications device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of factors further comprises whether the rate at which the data packet was received falls below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       4. The high-speed communications device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of factors further comprises whether the rate at which the data packet was received exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       5. The high-speed communications device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises a wait-and-forward operation. 
     
     
       6. The high-speed communications device of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises a terminate operation. 
     
     
       7. The high-speed communications device of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises a receive operation and a drop-packet operation. 
     
     
       8. The high-speed communications device of  claim 1 , wherein the high-speed communications device is an integrated circuit component of a system on a chip. 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions executable by a processor, the instructions comprising instructions to:
 receive a data packet using a network communications interface; 
 determine a classification of the data packet based, at least in part, on a plurality of factors, wherein the plurality of factors comprises a rate at which the data packet was received and a time at which the data packet was received; 
 select, based at least in part on the classification, an operation from a plurality of operations, wherein the plurality of operations comprises a cut-through operation and a store-and-forward operation, and wherein the selecting selects between the cut-through operation and the store-and-forward operation based at least on the time at which the data packet was received; and 
 perform the selected operation. 
 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of factors further comprises a payload of the data packet. 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of factors further comprises whether the rate at which the data packet was received falls below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of factors further comprises whether the rate at which the data packet was received exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises a wait-and-forward operation. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises a terminate operation. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises a receive operation and a drop-packet operation. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable memory is a component of an integrated circuit of a system on a chip. 
     
     
       17. A processor-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving a data packet using a network communications interface; 
 determining a classification of the data packet based, at least in part, on a plurality of factors, wherein the plurality of factors comprises a rate at which the data packet was received and a time at which the data packet was received; 
 selecting, based at least in part on the classification, an operation from a plurality of operations, wherein the plurality of operations comprises a cut-through operation and a store-and-forward operation, and wherein the selecting selects between the cut-through operation and the store-and-forward operation based at least on the time at which the data packet was received; and 
 performing the selected operation. 
 
     
     
       18. The processor-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of factors further comprises header information of the data packet. 
     
     
       19. The processor-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of factors further comprises whether the rate at which the data packet was received falls below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       20. The processor-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of factors further comprises whether the rate at which the data packet was received exceeds a predetermined threshold.